Annual costs have climbed from £544million in 2010-11 to £574million just two years later - and experts have tipped a continuing rise.

At the same time, there has been a shocking 260% increase in the number of families spending longer than six weeks in B&Bs.

Children in shelter

90,000

Children in shelter

Shadow Housing Minister Emma Reynolds said: “It is a tragedy that tens of thousands of families will be spending their Christmas in emergency accommodation, but it is also costing the taxpayer more, with local authorities set to spend billions on emergency accommodation over this Parliament because of the Government’s failure."

It comes as more than a million households face the misery of fuel poverty this Christmas - forking out a tenth of their income on energy.

Figures show the average gap between a family’s energy bill and what they can afford is nearly £400 a year.

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Almost two in five households in fuel poverty are single-parent families.

The worrying figures underline the grim reality facing the least well-off over the festive period, despite the growing economy and falling inflation.

Labour has pledged a two-year freeze on fuel bills if the party wins May’s general election.

Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint said: “Under the Tories’ failing plan, Britain is facing an energy bill crisis, with a million families who can’t afford their energy bills, and millions more worrying about how they’ll make ends meet this winter.

“That’s why the next Labour Government will freeze energy prices until 2017 - saving the average household £120 - and fix the energy market for the future, with a tough new regulator to curb rip-off bills.”

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